The Letter

The Letter

Year: 1940

Runtime: 95 mins

Language: English

Director: William Wyler

DramaCrimeThrillers and murder mysteriesNoir and dark crime dramasPassion and romance

Fascinating, Tantalizing and DANGEROUS! After a woman shoots a man to death, a damning letter she wrote raises suspicions.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Letter (1940)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Letter (1940). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1930s

Set during the colonial era in Southeast Asia, the film places its events in a pre-World War II milieu when British expatriates run plantations and law operates through district officers. The period’s strict codes of honor and reputation drive the murder-for-honor premise. The plot also reflects the slow, face-saving nature of colonial justice within a tightly knit expatriate circle.

Location

Malaya, Singapore, Sumatra

The story unfolds in the British colonial community of Malaya, centered on a rubber plantation and expatriate society. Much of the drama takes place around a Singapore jail and in the Chinese quarter where Hammond's widow lives, before the action shifts toward a potential move to Sumatra. The settings underscore social strata, racial hierarchies, and the economic stakes of rubber exports that underpin the colony’s fortunes.

🌴 Tropical setting 🕰️ Colonial era 🛳️ Expatriate society 🗺️ Southeast Asia

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:00

Main Characters – The Letter (1940)

Meet the key characters of The Letter (1940), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Leslie Crosbie (Bette Davis)

A wife who insists she killed to protect her honor, yet the recovered letter reveals a persistent affair with Hammond. She is calculating, adept at manipulating appearances, and adept at steering others toward her version of events. Her eventual confession unsettles the marriage and exposes the depth of her deception, leaving her fate tied to her own desires.

💃 Femme Fatale 🕵️‍♀️ Deception 🔒 Honor 🧭 Control

Geoffrey Hammond (David Newell)

A prominent expatriate and Leslie’s lover whose murder launches the central mystery. His social standing and intimate involvement with Leslie drive the stakes of the expatriate community’s scandal. Though dead, his influence persists through the information he leaves behind and the leverage it gives others.

💘 Forbidden love 🗺️ Expat society 🧭 Influence 🗡️ Mystery

Robert Crosbie (Herbert Marshall)

Leslie’s husband, a rubber plantation manager who dreams of a fresh start in Sumatra. He embodies the colonial ideal of duty and respectability, yet his hopes become vulnerable to financial risk and marital deception. His trust in Leslie is tested to the limit as truth emerges.

💼 Duty 🏛️ Power 🧭 Trust 💔 Strain

Howard Joyce (James Stephenson)

Leslie’s lawyer, initially cautious but increasingly drawn into a morally gray scheme. He weighs professional duty against personal gain, risking his career for a chance to save his client. Joyce’s pursuit of the truth clashes with the practicalities of the courtroom and society.

⚖️ Legal drama 🧭 Moral ambiguity 🗂️ Investigation 🕵️ Persistence

Ong Chi Seng (Victor Sen Yung)

Joyce’s clerk who uncovers the crucial letter, acting as a conduit between the Chinese quarter and the colonial court. He demonstrates how information can alter power dynamics and expose hidden guilt. His role underscores the vulnerability of a system that relies on suppressed truths.

🗝️ Hidden information 🗺️ Cross-cultural 🧭 Gatekeeper 🪄 Revelation

Mrs. Hammond (Gale Sondergaard)

Geoffrey Hammond’s Eurasian widow who controls the fate of the letter’s original. She embodies the precarious position of a minority within a colonial economy and wields financial leverage to influence outcomes. Her anger and bargaining power become pivotal in the pursuit of truth.

💰 Power 🪪 Marginal status 🔒 Leverage 👁️ Surveillance

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:00

Major Themes – The Letter (1940)

Explore the central themes of The Letter (1940), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕊️ Honor

Leslie’s claim of killing to preserve her honor highlights how social reputation governs behavior in a closed expatriate world. The letter and the courtroom showdown reveal that appearances can be as powerful as proof. Deception is employed to protect status, with personal loyalties complicating any pursuit of the truth.

⚖️ Colonial Morality

The White expatriate community dictates a code of conduct that supports its own, often at the expense of others within the colonial system. Law and judgment appear biased by social standing, revealing a justice system more concerned with appearances than impartial truth. The presence of the Eurasian widow and the Chinese quarter exposes underlying power imbalances beneath polite society.

Forbidden Forbidden Love

Romantic desire destabilizes the social order, intertwining passion with manipulation and financial risk. The affair with Hammond creates leverage that threatens marriages, careers, and reputations. The narrative eventually ties desire to a fatal fate, underscoring the cost of crossing prescribed boundaries.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:00

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Unlock the Full Story of The Letter

Don't stop at just watching — explore The Letter in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what The Letter is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

The Letter Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Letter, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Letter Summary

The Letter Timeline

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The Letter Timeline

More About The Letter

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